The ancient beliefs and practice of traditional Chinese medicine have been healing people for thousands of years.
Even today, with highly developed modern medicine, this belief is still popular among many people. This is probably due to the modern medicine’s failure to cure various diseases, because it mostly concentrates on curing the symptoms (or suppressing them). Chinese medicine goes even deeper and treats the causes, thus completely changing people, their lives, and habits.
For decades, people have been afraid of the Chinese doctors, because they could not understand their methods. However, once you understand the principles and wisdom behind their techniques, you will see how beneficial traditional Chinese medicine is.
Basic Principles
One of the most basic principles in Chinese medicine is treating the underlying disharmony which lies at the root of the disease, thus improving the whole wellbeing, rather than simply easing the symptoms. It focuses on natural balance, and it derives the principles from the nature itself and the cycle of the seasons. This balance is based on the concept of Yin and Yang, two opposites that complement each other, in order to achieve the perfect balance.
According to Chinese medicine, each organ has a Yin and Yang aspect. The vital energy of the body (Qi) belongs to Yang, while blood and Body fluids belong to Yin. What causes the disease in the body is the disturbance of the natural balance of Yin and Yang, through a deficiency of excess of one of the qualities.
This disturbance of balance and energies in the body can be caused by various factors. The factors range from different emotional states (such as anger, fear, stress and anxiety) to poor nutrition, hereditary factors, weather conditions, poisons or trauma. To gain the optimal vitality and harmony of Yin and Yang, Chinese medicine has found several methods, such as acupuncture or herbal medicine, which also enable the necessary transformation to restore the body’s perfect innate balance.
Herbal Medicine
Over 3000 years, Chinese doctors have been experimenting with thousands of herbs and documenting their effect on human body. They have tried many combinations and found various reactions of different people, depending on their psychological and physical composition. Herbal medicine is actually one large system which is associated with the treatment of diseases. Most commonly, practitioners use different leaves, roots, flowers, stems and seeds of plants (such as ginger, licorice, cinnamon, and ginseng). When a Chinese medicine practitioner recommends the herbal treatment, those herbs are usually combined into a formula and then made into a traditional tea, liquid extract, granule or even capsules and tablets such as Herbs of Gold. Into such forms, some minerals and vitamins are added in order to restore the innate balance of your body.
Additionally, foods and drinks you consume will greatly determine your well being. To perfectly balance the diet, the Chinese include all five tastes because the foods with certain tastes have certain properties. For example, spicy food is warming, sour, bitter and salty are cooling and sweet taste is strengthening. No food or sizes of food are forbidden in Chinese nutrition, since it is mainly considered the first defense line in health.
Acupuncture
The aim of acupuncture (a form of treatment using needles) is an adjustment of the organic functions and cleansing of the energy channels in the body by inserting needles in acupuncture points. In ancient China, this operation was performed with stone needles, which later evolved into bone, bamboo and metal ones. After thousands of years of practice, acupuncture became traditional and prestige Chinese medical treatment. Acupuncture points have been established to be on the passages called Jing Luo, through which circulates the vital energy all over your body. If these passages get blocked, the doctor pricks the acupoint with stainless needles to unblock them and let the energy flow freely throughout the body. Looking back at the basic principles, it all comes down to striking perfect balance and harmony in your body and its energy. That is why doctors insert the needles deep or shallow, lifted or entwisted to free the passages and miraculously heal you.
The true wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine actually lies in the very perception of your body: you have to treat it as a whole, and a being that has to be harmonized and well-balanced. As soon as something is out of order, the diseases may occur. Through natural remedies and changes in your life, the balance will be restored.
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